Esther Williams & Animals As Accessories

When MGM Studios would pair its leading ladies with animals onscreen, usually the creature would be either a part of the plot or a character (e.g. Elizabeth Taylor and Lassie, Mryna Loy and Asta each had intimate relationships onscreen).

However, for the musicals featuring Esther Williams, swimming champion and resident studio "mermaid," animals were usually accessories.

Let's take a look at Esther Williams' career.

• Neptune's Daughter (1949) - Esther Williams absently pats a random dalmatian on a horse ranch as Ricardo Montalbán looks on.

• Dangerous When Wet (1953) - In this film, Esther Williams has a plot-stopping cartoon dream where she swims with Tom the cat & Jerry the mouse, eye candy for kids.

• Jupiter's Darling (1955) - A leopard accompanies Esther Williams on her morning walk as she wears zebra skin. The leopard is one of the conquered treasures that Hannibal (Howard Keel) shows off, merely a status symbol.

• Publicity Stills - There are any number of publicity shots like this with Esther Williams and some aquatic creature.

What Esther Williams/animal-as-accessories movie scenes would you add?